Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-01

July 9th he became Englands prisoner OF
war. As he had been an Emperor it was
thought not proper to confine him as a
felon Yet, in violation of his pledge, he
had stcalthily escaped from EIba and had
caused blood to flow like water at Quatre
Bras, at Ligny and at Waterloo. 1t would
be a crime against Europe and against
humanity TO trust him again on his honor.
Royal though he had been, he must now
be confined so that another escape would
be impossible. The place of his detention
was determined after careful deliberation,
and was determined wisely. Napoleon
known intolerance to cold was considered
in fixing upon a tropical island. ST. He
lena is an island made by volcanic erup-
ton. 1t is mostly rocky, with few mar
row valleys. 1t is perhaps dozen miles
in circumference, and in 1915 contained
about 1000 inhabitants. On account Of its
rocky bleakness ii was rarely visited by
ships-a fact making it more secure as a
royal prison. When Napoleon was told
that he was prisoner of war he affected
surprise Great Britain behaved gener-
ously, and Napoleon was allowed to take
with him as companions three military
and one civil friend, with their families,
one physician and twelve servants, to be
kept at England's expense. He selected
Marshal Bertrand, Count MontheIon and
General Gourgand and NJ de Las Gases as
his companions. The support of this conf
pany cost England yearly about 100000.
This does not include the enormous ex-
pense of keeping at the island Governor
with his retinue, 4 regiment of soldiers
and feet.
On August Sth the fleet sailed from the
English Channel for St. Helena, and on
October 18th Napoleon first stepped upon
the island where he was to die. He
lodged for a time in little valley cottage
called the BriarS. More spacious accomo-
dations were afterward provided. Soon
Napoleon began his misbehavior Cock
burn was kind-hearted and generous but
he had to do his duty in keeping Napoleon
under guard. Napoleon, with the COM
monest capacity, ought TO have seen this
and respected it. But he would not.
Cockburn furnished him horse, and of
fered wide latitude in which to ride, but
added that if he approached within pre-
scribed distance Of the beach he would be
attended by British officer. Napoleon
affected to regard the limitation as an in
suit, and with childish pettishness refused
to ride at all. Then came fault-finding rs
unjust as it was undigniiied After the
fashion Of the vulgar, he thought il smart
to Use nicknames, and called Lord Cock
burn the shark" Daily he repaid gen
crosby with ingratitude, politeness with
insolence.
Napoleon did not desire to escape. He
himself said that he had lived so long in
the eyes of the world that he could not
live without being talked about; that to
be buried in privacy in the wilds of
America would he uncomfortable, and that
since he could not now occupy 4 throne he
was greater rs a prisoner on that rock than
he could be elsewhere.
In 1920 his health began to fail yisibly
his legs swelled, his circulation became
feeble. Physicians prescribed. He had
no confidence, and refused medicine lie
said he would die by disease but not 10y
medicine. Iu April, 1921, he grew worse
daily. He daily spent hours in the bath,
which weakened him. His ewes were
sunken; his color was livid. He saw hi,
end at hand. As he was worth more than
81 900, 600, which in our time Iwould be
SSNcidi HliillollS, ne udut II VIII, III winch
he expressed his hatredS and INDICATED
his crimes. He denounced his bad-hearted
brother Louis as liar
On May 4, 1921, his hours were evil
IDENTIFY numbered. He took no food, and
frequently vomited a black matter. He
had spasms and high fever and a raging
thirst. He WAS too weak to speak, and
besides, his tongue and lips were incapable
Of articulation, so that his faint mutterings
were unintelligible. The 9Th dawned as
sunny and tranquil a day as ever dawned
on that island. Allday long Napoleon lay
rs in a stupor. 1t was evident that that
day was to be his last. At $40 in the
evening, just as the bright sun from a
cloudless sky was about to dip into the
ocean, a Catholic priest standing near,
while friends wept around his couch, with
out one motion, without even the death
rattle, the prisoner was released.